This is CBS Eye on the World.

Here's John Batchelor.

It's a pleasure to welcome the author, Josh Hammer, the columnist Josh Hammer,

the observer, the New Yorker, Josh Hammer.

His new book is Israel and Civilization,

the fate of the Jewish nation and Destiny of the West.

We begin humbly in Westchester County, New York.

A young man named Josh Hammer is growing up happily in splendor.

Westchester is a golden place to have a childhood.

And that childhood include reform and conservative temples and concerned his loving parents.

However, Josh, a very good evening to you.

Thank you very much.

And congratulations for the book.

Your reflections on your childhood are especially dear to me because I had a similar

childhood, though I'm not Jewish. My friends, all my friends were. So I witnessed the temples

and the visits to the Akiba Academy in the afternoon after school to learn Hebrew and the

collecting of money for the 67 war. What was it like in Westchester without

the orthodox around you, the Americanization of Judaism? Good evening to you. John, good evening.

It's a real pleasure to join you. I truly do appreciate this. So I grew up in Westchester County,

but not in one of the more observant parts of Westchester County.

Most my childhood friends were Jewish, but to us, you know, being Jewish basically meant, you know,

enjoying Seinfeld's humor and, you know, bagels and locks, and a lot of these other various

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